BROOMFIELD — Holy Family girls soccer had nearly every team’s number it faced this season. But there was one opponent that apparently had the Tigers’.
The top-seeded team of the Class 3A state tournament tumbled a second time this season to Colorado Academy. But this time around, Holy Family’s 2-1 falter to its Metro League foe was much more stinging than its regular-season loss.
The loss to the eighth-seeded Mustangs at Mike G. Gabriel Stadium ended Holy Family’s quest for its first soccer title in the quarterfinals.
“I’d almost rather be the fifth seed in the tournament,” Holy Family coach George Connolly said. “This is the third year in a row the fifth seed (from the Metro League) has made it to the semifinals.”
Holy Family (15-3) understands all too well the trouble with Metro League upsets. The team suffured one in the 2011 state tournament, with fifth-seed Peak to Peak ending the Tigers’ run in the semifinals.
The Mustangs (12-4-2) overcame an emotional and physical opening half behind the offensive aggressiveness of one of its youngest players. Marin McCoy tucked in both of her team’s goals, finding an extra gear in the final 40 minutes of play.
The freshman set the tone of the second half scoring in the opening 3 minutes. The Mustangs’ leading scorer put her team on the board, tucking home a mishandled save. She then broke a 1-1 stalemate in the 65th minute connecting on a deep attempt from the outside. McCoy tucked in the final goal from around 30 yards out, shooting far post, high corner.
“We really wanted to show them that our first win against them wasn’t an off day for them,” said the forward, who has 14 goals on the season. “We wanted to show them that we deserved to beat them.”
Despite Colorado Academy drawing first blood, Holy Family kept the game close. Ashley Burk put the Tigers on the board in the 53rd minute with a powerful shot off a set piece. The senior striking from around 40 yards out on a free kick had most in purple believing it was the turning point of the game.
“It was an amazing shot,” Connolly said. “And I thought we had lots of looks after that. We just didn’t put them away.”
Finishing was Holy Family’s biggest obstacle of the evening, with the team unable to finish numerous looks it constructed. One of the hardest for the team to gut came towards the end of the opening half.
Maddie Kuzik had a wide open net in the 28th minute, after the Mustangs’ keeper hit the deck on an initial save. The Holy Family forward moved the ball within 5 yards of the frame and took her shot. But the attack was thwarted, with Colorado Academy defender Mandy Weeks making a last-ditch save of the shot.
“If we would have finished our chances in the first half, it would have been a whole different game,” Connolly said.
Colorado Academy 2, Holy Family 1
At Mike G. Gabriel Stadium
Colorado Academy (12-4-2) 0 2 — 2
Holy Family (15-3) 0 1 — 1
Goals (assists) — Colorado Academy: Marin McCoy (unassisted), 43rd minute; Holy Family: Ashley Burk (unassisted), 53rd minute; Colorado Academy: Marin McCoy (unassisted), 65th minute.
Goalkeepers (Min-Goals allowed-Saves) — Colorado Academy: Sara Ozawa (80-1-2); Holy Family: Olivia Quinn (80-2-1).
This story was updated, correcting Colorado Academy’s seed and clearifying the opening quote.
